This post is sponsored by Visit Garland. All opinions are my own.
One of my favorite pictures of my family dates to somewhere between 1900 and 1920, when my great-grandfather, his brother, and their cousin went to the State Fair of Texas. In the photo, they’re dressed in classic cowboy clothes and representing what I think of as the spirit of the American frontier. They’re wearing long-sleeved shirts, bandanas, and shaggy chaps. Though you can’t see their feet, I’m sure they have on cowboy boots. 
The thing I really love about the photo is their cowboy hats. They are a wide-brimmed design, no doubt offering shade in what I’ve known as the hot Texas summer all my life. All three have different crowns on their hats, and they are all wearing them differently. One is tilted, the other straight, and the last pulled low. These weren’t just accessories, they meant something. That photo has been on my mind lately, especially after visiting Garland, Texas, a city that’s been keeping that cowboy hat tradition alive for nearly a century.
Cowboy Hat Capital of Texas
They say everything is bigger in Texas. The city of Garland, the Cowboy Hat Capital of Texas, seems to share that sentiment. In September 2025, the “Largest Cowboy Hat in Texas,” located adjacent to Downtown Garland Square, was unveiled. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill head topper. Measuring 20 feet long, 16 feet wide, and 6 feet tall, it sits perched 15 feet in the air. It even lights up at night. 
History of the Cowboy Hat
To answer that, we need to step back a few hundred years before Texas became a Republic and then joined the United States. According to the Bullock Museum in Austin, the Mexican vaqueros’ story started in Texas in the 1700s. While riding the range on their horses, they wore sombreros with wide brims to keep the heat of the Texas sun off their faces and stay cool during the long days on the ranch. The cowboy hat descended from the sombrero and was invented by John B. Stetson in 1865. Now that I’ve shared that tiny tidbit of history, it’s time to explain why Garland is the Cowboy Hat Capital of Texas.
“Don’t ever underestimate the power of a good song, a good horse, and a good hat.” – Gene Autry, The Singing Cowboy from Tioga, TX
Why Garland? Introducing the Makers
Hatco
Since 1938, Hatco, Inc. has been making cowboy hats in Garland. I recently toured the Hatco plant while the hats were being made, both felt and straw.
Hat making in the city started with the arrival of Resitol. The company moved from Dallas, where it was founded in 1927, to Garland. They produced the fedora worn by the legendary football coach Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys. Country legends and up-and-comers are also known for their love of Resistol hats, including country singers and native Texans George Strait and Cody Johnson.
Stetson’s first hat, created in 1865, was called the Boss of the Plains. Think of the likes of Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, and Annie Oakley, who were said to wear Stetson’s first design back when the West was still wild. He opened a factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and began production.
After the company went bankrupt in 1986, Hatco acquired the manufacturing, and they moved to Garland in 1987. They produce the iconic symbol worn by a variety of folks, including Presidents Ronald Reagan, Lyndon B. Johnson, and George W. Bush. Other Stetson fans were the Duke himself, the late John Wayne, and Texans Matthew McConaughey, Post Malone, and even Beyoncé. Think Cowboy Carter.
Hatco also produces the brands Dobbs and Charlie 1 Horse. Both Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson are fans of the latter.
Just so you know, it takes 200 steps to make a hat, and Hatco produces 215 dozen felt hats and 130 dozen straw hats PER DAY! That’s around a million hats a year.
Dorfman Milano
Garland is home to Dorfman Milano, makers of Panama Jack, Justin, and Larry Mahon hats. Italian immigrant and Horatio Alger Award recipient John Milano founded Milano Hat Company in Garland in 1983. In 2004, Dorfman Pacific acquired the company, bringing the Dorfman Milano name to the city. They’ve tailored hats for Mexican norteño band Los Tucanes de Tijuana and country singer Kenny Chesney. Dorfman Milano is also the Official Licensed Hat Maker for the Kentucky Derby. Now I’m craving a mint julep!
Photos courtesy Visit Garland
Master Hatters of Texas
Yet another cowboy hat company, Master Hatters of Texas, arrived in Garland in 1968. Their hats have been worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Toby Keith, to name a few.
Garland’s Connection to the Red-Headed Stranger
Did you know that Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger album was recorded in Garland at the recording studio Autumn Sound in 1975?
In 2025, the city celebrated the 50th anniversary of the album’s recording, which later became a movie starring Nelson. The concept album won 12 Grammy Awards from 57 nominations and is ranked in the top 200 of greatest albums of all time. Hat’s off to Willie on the success of the album recorded in Garland.
By the way, Willie has also worn Resistol hats during his long career, according to several articles I read. Yet another fan of hats made in Garland.
Hat’s Off for A Deserving Moniker
Now that you know the history of ALL these hat makers in Garland, it should be clear why they have earned the Cowboy Hat Capital of Texas designation. Think of all those heads their hats have covered and will continue to cover for decades to come. What story will those hats see that will never be revealed? From Mexican vaqueros in the 1700s to modern-day country stars, the cowboy hat has been part of Texas’s identity since before it became a state. And Garland? It’s been shaping that identity, one hat at a time, for nearly a hundred years. No wonder they built the biggest one in Texas.
Eat in the Heart of Texas in Garland
After all that hat history, let’s talk about the food.
At The Beef House, Garland’s oldest restaurant, you can dig into American-style cuisine and classic Texas comfort food. Their chicken-fried steak is the kind of hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meal that hits the spot every time.
Remember those Mexican vaqueros who started it all? Their culinary influence is alive and well at Taco Y Vino, where traditional Mexican flavors are paired with wine instead of the usual cerveza. It’s a modern twist on the vaquero tradition that shaped cowboy culture in the first place. I chose the taco plate with three tacos – barbacoa, brisket guiso, and peppered pork belly. Here’s a picture of several menu options. Delicious!
From chuckwagon classics to vaquero-inspired flavors, Garland serves up the full spectrum of cowboy cuisine.
Visit Garland
Make the trip to Garland. Stand under the giant cowboy hat, explore Downtown Garland Square, and soak in a piece of Texas history that’s still being made every single day.
While you’re in town, visit the Garland Landmark Museum, which features a “Hats Off to Garland” exhibit that shares even more history of the cowboy hat. Get there soon. It runs through February 28.
Who knows? You might leave with a hat of your own. For additional information on things to see and do in Garland, check out their website.
Until next time from Texas…safe travels!
